England 'silly' not to pick him - Archer backed to make World Cup squad

Jofra Archer has impressed at Hobart Hurricanes, with coach Adam Griffith insisting the paceman is ready to play international cricket.

Published : Dec 28, 2018 22:31 IST

Jofra Archer in action for the Hobart Hurricanes.
Jofra Archer in action for the Hobart Hurricanes.
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Jofra Archer in action for the Hobart Hurricanes.

England would be "silly" not to pick Jofra Archer for the 2019 World Cup, according to Hobart Hurricanes coach Adam Griffith.

A change to the rules surrounding overseas player qualification by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has opened up the possibility of Barbados-born Archer playing for his adopted homeland early next year.

The ECB announced in November that players wishing to play for England need only complete a three-year residency period - down from the previous mark of seven for those moving after their 18th birthday - with the changes coming into effect for the start of 2019.

A super talent

Archer - who represented West Indies at youth level before joining English county Sussex in 2015 - is currently playing in the Big Bash League for the Hurricanes, delaying any potential international debut until March.

The 23-year-old has picked up six wickets in three games so far having claimed 16 in the competition last season, with Griffith describing him as a "super talent" capable of featuring in all formats at the highest level.

"I think he'll definitely play a role for them [England] in the World Cup - they'd be silly if he didn't," he said.

"He's a super talent - he's hyper competitive. He wins games of cricket, so I think they'll be looking at him.

"He's on record that Test cricket is something he wants to play, he sees it as the pinnacle of what he can do. He's got the talent [for Test cricket], no doubt. We've seen what he can do in white ball [cricket].

Eoin Morgan - England's one-day and Twenty20 captain - confirmed earlier in December that Archer will be looked at once he is eligible.

"He needs to spend more days in the country before he is available for selection," Morgan said.

"When that happens, we’ll cross that bridge and look at all aspects of selection – how everybody could benefit the team."

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